When I was just starting out with birth photography in 2011, I was terrified of missing something. I focussed on the parents’ emotions, and everything else I could get on camera was a bonus. Until I was at a birth in February 2012, where the child’s head was born with a tight nuchal cord. This doesn’t happen often, but it means that the midwife cannot easily get the cord over the head and away from the neck, to allow the rest of the body to be born. The midwife chose to cut the cord first, and then allow the rest of the body to be born. This gave me time to document everything which was happening.
I shared the photo online, and it created some intense discussion about whether the midwife had made the right call, since there are other ways of solving the problem. That discussion may happen again now, but this child was born with a perfect apgar score, and is a healthy toddler now, who plays with his younger brother who was born in water, at home.
I loved the photo so much, that I decided I wanted to take a photo like it far more often! When you’re at a birth, you see a baby slowly come into the world. You see it happen step by step, and the moment is unbelievable, but once the baby is out it’s even more unbelievable. THAT fitted in your belly?? And it came out through that small hole (or cut, in case of a c-section)?! It’s hard to believe, and that’s what makes these photos so amazing. Even though the photos are anonymous, they are very intimate, and I am not always allowed to share them.
And that makes it extra cool that – thanks to the anonymity of this blog post – I can now share a whole lot of these photos! (If, by some amazing way, you do recognise one of the babies, please keep the information to yourself).
All these babies are not quite born yet, so really they are -10 seconds old. <3
Enjoy!
P.S If you are a blogger of journalist, and you want to write an article about this, please contact me at marry@fermontfotografie.nl. It is NOT PERMITTED to copy photos from the website, even with a credit or citation. Not all the parents have given their permission for external use. Thank you!
Serie natural birth:
Serie c-section:
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